My New Card

After 94 days I have finally recieved my permanent residency card. The card itself held no real importance in getting a job, although it is necessary in order for  me to get my Alberta Teaching Certificate. All I need to do is send in a certified copy of the card and they should be able to process my license. Hooray! Almost there.

I've Landed!

I did not succeed in finding employment under a Labour Market Opinion. I interviewed for one last week, but I wouldn't commit to the length of the contract (two years) because let's face it, I wasn't going to work in the kitchen at Julio's when I could be making some real money elsewhere. It was then that I knew I wouldn't be getting an LMO, so we made one more effort--entrepreneurship. I am by no means a business-minded individual, but I do have some great ideas for education, so we picked my best idea (a series of learning game apps that provide special education students remediation of prerequisite materials before learning new concepts, connected to a web-based database so teachers can monitor progress and easily tie it in to IEP goals) and I started writing a grant proposal complete with business plan.

Space Cats GCF game
(Yes, I was going to hire an animator)

The whole thing was actually kind of exciting, but at the same time I had a tough time writing it up because starting a business like this is so risky, and risk-taking like that is not my nature at all. Well I was writing up proposals for game apps and modules on Friday when I got the call from my father in law that the letter came from Immigration Canada. The letter specifically has written that applicants living in Canada are to either go to a border or the airport in order to officially land as a permanent resident. So Saturday we dropped the kids off at Courtney's parents and went to the airport. Upon finding the border services office, we were told that they couldn't do the job unless I landed on a plane, which isn't what the paper work said, but they wouldn't help us, so we drove to the border. 

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoy driving down to the border, so we didn't mind so much. I dropped Courtney off at the Canadian border office because leaving the country for her means she'll have to surrender her permanent residency card, which we didn't want to do on the same day for time reasons. I went through to American soil and turned around to land in Canada. I was expecting a drawn out interview, but the guard asked me two questions, "Have you been convicted of any crimes since filing?" and "Have you ever been fingerprinted?" (Which I have, for my teaching background check - they still let me in). We waited while he did some paperwork and then he called me out and declared me a permanent resident of Canada, with all the rights and privileges of a Canadian citizen, sans voting. That's right, I can now be as apologetic and hockey-crazed as an ordinary Canadian citizen. But more importantly, I can work. I can't teach right away--my application for an Alberta teacher's license is still in evaluation and I'll write more on that process later--but I can do just about anything else. We drove home with a sigh of relief, but also with anxiety to start looking for work.

Canadian Citizenship Ceremony

Source: McGill University

I had the privilege of attending a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony today. No, not my own (I'm not even approved as a permanent resident yet), but my brother-in-law's wife, who is from Jamaica. The ceremony room was filled with friends and family of the new Canadians. A judge gave a speech before the 81 applicants took the oath of Canadian citizenship. It was an excellent speech; a few things stuck out to me

• Canada is the "Great Experiment": Every American has been told that the United States is the Great Experiment--in democracy. Canada is apparently the Great Experiment in multiculturalism. Long ago the United States was a "melting pot" of ethnicity, but after over 200 years of immigration, people in the US predominantly see themselves as American because they are so far removed from their family's immigration to the States. While the race statistics are even more predominantly white in Canada, and the ancestral breakdown is not as diverse, it seems like a more diverse place. One thing I've noticed here is how many people identify with their ethnicity more than in the states. I feel like people retain their English accents for a while here (I hear them a lot) and it's okay to speak speak your native language (especially if it's French, which is the co-national language). The most common theme I've noticed is a general acceptance of all cultures and a lack of racism. I think that is what is meant by the Great Experiment. They don't just want to have many cultures living together, but they want to do so in an inviting way that promotes the spirit of community, and I think they do that very well.
• 'Many of you have come seeking refuge from oppressive governments, war-torn countries of fallen economies': That we be us. The third one, yeah, that's what we did.
• 'The country is made great through volunteerism': The judge advised the new citizens to volunteer, to become part of the community and help others, and also take advantage of the many programs offered by individuals volunteering to teach youth. I thought this was very wise of him to suggest. 
• 'Canada is the greatest country in the world. Not the most famous. Not the richest. But it is the greatest because it is the best place in the world to raise a family': Whether or not this is true, I cannot say with a great deal of certainty. What I can say is that Calgary is a very family-friendly city, and I am happy to start raising my family here now. 

When he finished, the immigrants stood and took the oath, then each was called to the podium to receive their certificate of citizenship and shook hands with the judge and an RCMP officer, better known by Americans as a Mountie (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). I thought this was fitting because you'll be hard pressed to find anything more Canadian than a Mountie in full dress uniform.

The question obviously was asked if I would get Canadian citizenship when I'd become eligible. I could think of three possible advantages of becoming Canadian:

1. I could vote. But seeing that our current riding has given 70% of the vote for the last six elections to an MP who is likely the next Prime Minister of Canada, I'm not sure if that matters much (it would be more important for city elections, though).
2. I could run for office, like City Councilor or the School Board. But hmpf. 
3. I wouldn't have to deal with the US government for a passport, about taxes, about, well, anything. That alone actually might make it worth it.
4. I could be disappointed when my Olympic hockey team doesn't win gold instead of pleasantly surprised when they do well or satisfied as long as they don't trash the Olympic Village housing like they're the Rolling Stones--oops, I don't think that was one of the reasons. But the Olympics are coming! If Ryan Miller or Jonathan Quick get hot, this could be the year (hahaha).

Immigration Consultants

Back in October I wrote about Mexi-Can, the company that 'imports' Mexican workers to come work in Canada. Even though I have an in with some people at the top they have not been able to do anything for me by means of finding work. I have been able to find other companies that recruit foreign workers for business, though. As I searched for international recruiters I also found a few immigration consultant agencies that supposedly help people get LMOs. I explained what this is in my very first post and I have explained it to so many people since moving here that I never want to talk about it again.
Well, one day I was contacted by an East Indian guy who called himself an immigration consultant who asked for some information about my situation, and HE told me that I didn't need an LMO. He said since I had been approved for sponsorship I should be able to get a work permit. I couldn't believe it, mainly because everything on the CIC (Canada Immigration and Citizenship) website says that you can't when you apply from outside the country. So I was suspicious, of course, especially when he told me he could get me work permit in a month if I pay him $1000 to file my paperwork (it costs $150 to do it yourself). I tell him, "This is incredible. I was approved for sponsorship over three months ago. If we had known we could do this we would have applied for it three months ago. That's when he tells me, "Oh, you were applied three months ago? Don't worry about getting a work permit. Your permanent residency should be approved within the next three weeks."
First of all, I'm dumbfounded, especially since I thought I would be consigned to a long 15 month wait (as per the website's information). He told me that those times are the longest processing times, for like conjugal partners applying. As an American who has been married five years, it should be quick. Second of all, I really start to question this guy's credibility. He obviously knows nothing about immigrating to Canada. Except he really threw me of because he was no longer trying to sell me a $1000 service.
So I start calling around for other opinions of immigration consultants in Calgary. The first two wanted me to come in for a consultation session and pay them $100 or more for a session. Finally, I got another East Indian guy, and he answered my questions. He confirmed that in my position I was ineligible for a work permit. I pressed him for a time estimate for a married American and he told me six of seven months. This was a little longer than the other consultant's estimate, but still short enough to give us some hope that we should get it soon.
I'm not sure if an immigration consultant can really help you decrease your processing time. Mainly I think that they just make sure that you have all your documents so you don't end up getting your paperwork sent back. I'm lucky to have a detail-oriented wife who would actually be a great immigration consultant. Now it's just a matter of waiting. I don't think we'll have to wait as long as I used to think, though.

Canadian Corruption?

They actually never smile. Never. (thestar.com)

There is actually plenty of corruption in Canada, the brunt of it occurring in Quebec (see here, here, here, here, and here). I'll write more on Quebec later, it's an entirely different place than Alberta, but while the government stays out of corruption, I've seen quite a bit of shifty business during my job search. I am still unemployed due to my inability to find a business with an open LMO. It has been six weeks since I had someone apply for me to work for his concrete business and there has been no word back from him. It will likely take another six weeks for the paperwork to finish, which will be no good seeing that he'll be done working for the season. I have received some offers, however, to work without an LMO for cash. Upon entering the country I was given a visitor's permit which clearly states that I am not authorized to work in Canada. The officer I spoke to told me to not do anything for money, because I was not authorized to do so and would risk being deported and jeopardize my pending permanent residency. So when I am told by these employers that they'll hire me and write a check to my wife for the amount, I simply decline their offer. There are many who are working illegally in this province, and they successfully evade detection and deportation, and I think it has a lot to do with the labour shortage here. While I could probably get away with it, I won't be putting my status in the country on the line anytime soon. This is not a blog about moral fortitude, so I'll refrain from an honesty speech, but it is a blog about my completely legal move to a foreign country and my adventures trying to fit in.
I did make contact with a recruiting agency that finds workers in Mexico for Calgary businesses with LMOs--Mexi-Can. It has been a week and a half, however, and they have no results, but it seemed like a good prospect at the time, and still could pull something out of their hat for me. When they do I will still have to wait a month to be approved by the government to be on their LMO. Needless to say, it's a lengthy process--moreso than we previously thought it'd be. But our house sold, so there's no turning back now.

Weekly Recap

FBI Clearance
My FBI clearance came back clean and quickly! It's the last part of my permanent residency application, so it's nice to know it's all in Ottawa's hands now...or is it?

Money notes

Loonie: A coin worth $1. There are no dollar bills in Canada.
Toonie: A coin worth $2. I love the coin cash.

Drivers License
I went in to get my drivers license on Monday. I showed up, waited in line, then was told I had to have my marriage certificate. Later in the day I went to the storage unit to find the box wherein could be found the document. I went from there to get the car inspected, which I will talk about later. I returned to the registry with the certificate and everything was great. Then to pay the $21.30, I whipped out my debit card, which wouldn't take. Apparently it was being read as a credit card. I had $15.00 Canadian and $5 US, so I was short a Loonie plus 30 cents. The clerk told me to go to the store next door where there was an ATM. I did and it wouldn't process my transaction. So I went to register and tried to buy a Wunderbar and get $20 cash back. Wouldn't work, the cashier told me, because I was trying to get cash back with a credit card. At this point I was really, really frustrated, especially since I had another $20 Canadian in my wallet earlier in the day but I deposited it in our new bank account. So what did I do? I drove the 10 minutes home and found a few Toonies and change then drove back and paid. Through all of this, the part I disliked the most was that I had to surrender my Utah license. I just got it earlier this year, so it's disappointing to pay for another one. But without a Canadian license I can't be on the bank account or get insured, so it's kind of important.

Register Car

Exporting our car has been quite the ordeal. Everything was fine at the border, they told us we just had to take it to a Canadian Tire and get it checked out. We did that as soon as we got here and he gave us paperwork to take to the registry. When we got there they gave us more paperwork to take to a Canadian Tire for a full inspection. I took it there last Friday and they said it had a burnt out foglamp and a wheel hub that needed replaced. I didn't feel like sitting around for it, so I went home and returned on Monday. They told me it should take an hour and a half. This time I brought a book and found a comfy chair in the lawn and garden section. After an hour and a half I walked over to see what they had done. They told me they didn't have the part they needed. Yes, they let me sit around in their store without calling me to say that they had no intention of working on my car until the next day. Ridiculous. We did take it back (because we had no choice) and finally got it registered.

LMO update
The paperwork has been submitted, it's just a matter of the bureaucrats processing it and Canada Post delivering it (If USPS is snail mail, Canada Post is grass growing).

Song of the week played at an abnormally high frequency
The Weight-The Band
Every. Single. Day.

The Move

The first matter of business was getting there. Luckily, U Haul covers both the US and Canada. We had some friends over to pack up the house Monday night so we could leave early on Tuesday. 

The Goose was happy to see we got the dinosaur U-Haul.

Here are my girls in the car.

We decided to let Missy Moo drive for a while.

Me with Sacajawea

The Goose got a cookie with her meal at the hotel restaurant in Butte. 

Missy Moo!

Time for bed. Mom loves her a Best Western.

And finally, our entry into the true north, strong and free. We went through at Carway instead of Coutts because we wanted a shorter wait. We had to export the car, declare all of our belongings in the U-Haul, update my address on my permanent residency application, and get a visitor's permit for me to be able to stay in the country. We flew through. And now we're here. On our second day the Goose and I caught a bit of the flu and were throwing up for a while. Mom was sick, too, but with a stronger stomach. Next post: Job search.

Going North of the Border

I created this blog to chronicle my new adventure into a foreign country. I may be leaving the United States for Canada, but despite its proximity it's still a new country and will be a new experience. My wife is from Calgary, and earlier this year we decided to move to Calgary if I could get a job. I soon found out that I would not be able to get a teaching job unless I have permanent residency, and in order to get permanent residency we would need to prove our intent to live in Canada. Since my wife has a green card in the States the only way we could prove that intent is to actually move there. So I quit my job and put the house up for sale. With no real job prospects other than Alberta's famed labour shortage we were going to move in with my wife's parents and try our hand at getting a work permit through something called a labour market opinion. An LMO can be obtained by a company for a foreign worker if hiring that worker will not cost a Canadian a job. The odds of finding work are pretty good, and I'll be posting my progress as I go.  Here we come, Canada!